What are we?
by shadowwhisper123
Summary: Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba are rivals. Both of them knew that. But was that really all there was? All that they had been? All that they ever could be? Neither knew, and both wanted to know. (Prideshipping/Scandalshipping)
1. Chapter 1

AN: Well, here it goes. My first Yugioh fic. This is my first time writing these characters, and I tried to keep them all in character, but please let me know if you don't think they are. Also, please share any other criticism or feedback you may have as well. Positive or negative, I'd love to hear it.

Thank you and please enjoy!

-Shadow

* * *

The Kaiba brothers were on their way to the mountains. Mokuba was going with his class on a field trip in the wilderness for the long weekend, so he had asked his brother to drive him there that day, since they wouldn't see other until it was over, and his older brother had complied. Mokuba was sleepy from not having gotten much rest during the previous night, so he hadn't said anything in a while, but he still assured Seto that he was fine and didn't want to skip the trip. Even though he said that, the businessman still noticed that something was different about his younger brother that morning, but couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Seto glanced over at Mokuba to see if he would give him any clues and caught sight of the small bouquet that he held in his lap. It was nothing too fancy or elaborate, just seven short-stemmed, sweet-smelling red carnations tied together with a white ribbon.

"Who are those for?" he asked.

Mokuba turned his head towards his brother. "Huh?"

"The flowers. Who are they for?"

The younger boy blushed. "Oh…uh…they're-they're for a girl I like."

His older brother's eyes widened slightly for a moment. "A girl you like? Is she in your class?"

"Yeah, she's really pretty and really nice and-"

"You do realize that you're too young to date."

Mokuba frowned. "Well, yeah, of course I do. I was just going to ask her to have lunch with me under the trees and then I'm going to give her these. That's okay, isn't it?"

Seto nodded. "Yes. That's fine."

They still had a long way to go before they made it to where the field trip was starting, so Mokuba decided to ask his brother something that he had always wanted to know but never asked.

"Hey, big brother?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever…um…liked anybody before?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Seto answered in a cold tone.

"I dunno! I was just wondering."

"Well, the answer is no, Mokuba. I never have."

"Nobody? Never? Are you _sure_?"

"Yes. Very sure."

Mokuba sighed sadly as he looked out the window.

"Is something wrong?"

"Don't you ever…want to like somebody?"

Seto shook his head. "No. I don't need a girlfriend or a wife or whatever. Things like that will just get in the way."

"But, don't you want to happy, big brother?"

"Happy? Listen, Mokuba, I don't need or want romance to be happy. What will make me happy is achieving our goals for our company."

"But, you've already been doing that for a while and you're not happy!"

Kaiba paused for a moment. "Who says I'm not happy?"

"I do. I know you better than anyone. I know when you're happy and when you aren't. I want you to be happy, big brother. Haven't you ever seen how happy people look when they're in love? Maybe if you had a special someone, you could _really_ be happy."

Kaiba decided to change the subject. "This girl. How do you know that you like her?"

Mokuba pondered this for a moment before he gave his answer with a wistful look in his eyes. "Well, let's see. When I see her with other guys, I get jealous. Especially when they flirt with her-That's when I get super mad! And whenever I'm with her my heart starts beating faster and faster. Just thinking about her and the fact that I know her makes me happy. She just…makes me feel really alive and excited whenever I'm with her. That's how I know I like her."

Before either of them could say anything else on the matter, the car arrived at its destination. Mokuba picked up his backpack from under his feet. "Thanks for the ride, big brother. Wish me luck!" He opened the car door and let himself out, running off to happily join his classmates.

Kaiba turned the car around once he and Mokuba had smiled and waved goodbye at each other and began the drive back to his office. The young businessman's thoughts drifted back to his conversation with his brother. He still agreed with everything that he had said. But the last thing that he heard Mokuba tell him was weighing on his mind for some reason.

"I don't need a romance to be happy," he repeated. "I don't. I need to achieve our dream. Nothing can or should ever get in the way of that."

His dream. His new dream. Seto Kaiba had let go of his ambition to be the greatest duelist in the world (for now), so he had no excuse to focus on anything but that. And the reason he had let go of his previous ambition was because of **him**. Yugi Mutou.

Yugi. His rival. The only person he called his equal. The greatest, most powerful duelist he had ever seen. He could picture him vividly in his mind. His spiky hair, his crisp, dark blue and black school uniform, his confident smile, his svelte body that he carried with regal dignity, his large, violet, eyes that blazed with the bright flame of his pride and heart. The first person who had ever beaten him in anything. The only person who Kaiba had decided ever would. Without cheating, anyway.

He thought back to his duels with Yugi, how he felt during them.

"_Whenever I'm with her, my heart starts beating faster and faster_."

"_Yugi, fighting you again makes my heart beat faster_."

Remembering that those exact words had come out of his mouth made Kaiba feel almost embarrassed. Whatever. It wasn't as though Yugi had thought he was flirting with him or anything. And he wasn't. So it didn't even matter if Yugi had been thinking that. Which he hadn't.

"_When I see her with other guys, I get jealous. Especially when they flirt with her-That's when I get super mad!_"

"_Yugi. Your rival should be me_."

"_You are my only rival. I don't allow you to lose._"

"I don't get jealous when I see Yugi with other people," he mused. "If he wants to spend his time with his friends and that moron Jounouchi, that's his choice.

"_Just thinking about her and the fact that I know her makes me happy. She just…makes me feel really alive and excited whenever I'm with her. That's how I know I like her._"

"_Yugi, your existence excites and thrills me_."

…Had he really had those thoughts? Well…it was true. He had never thought that he would meet someone like Yugi and he was…_thankful_ that he had. Very thankful. Kaiba had dueled against many different opponents, but Yugi stood a head and shoulders above them all. He dueled with honor. No cheating, no cheap tricks, no cruel actions or twisted schemes, no dirty methods, no easy or simple tactics or copying off of anyone else. Yugi was that skilled because of the same reason that he was: through hard work and raw passion for games. Dueling against Yugi was…_enjoyable_. It was a true challenge that forced him to work and try his hardest and bring out every ounce of his strength, intelligence and potential and Kaiba liked that. Yugi was in a class of his own. Kaiba had never seen anyone else like him. Someone…like himself.

"I don't need friends, either," the young man said aloud. "Yugi is not my friend. I don't _need _him."

Was that true? Kaiba's mind continued to drift back into the past, in spite of itself. He remembered watching Yugi dueling against Malik for the first time. He hated seeing Yugilooking so _weak_. It wasn't the Yugi he knew. It wasn't the person who he wanted to be his rival for life. If he hadn't pulled himself together and triumphed over Malik, he wasn't going to be his rival anymore, but he did, and Kaiba remembered feeling so pleased. Yugi had held onto his honor and pride and once again had proven himself worthy of his esteem, and of being called a True Duelist. Kaiba wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"Have I really grown attached to him?" he wondered.

And even though he no longer wanted to start or enter any more tournaments, he still had every intention of continuing his rivalry with Yugi. He didn't feel the urge or desire to challenge anyone else…except for him.

Why?

What was his relationship with Yugi? How did he think and feel about him?

Could it be that his feelings for him really were as a friend? Or infatuation?

"How am I supposed to know that? I've never had any friends. Or lovers. I have nothing to compare my feelings for Yugi to."

Because there was no one else like Yugi to him.

But _why_? He had played against other gamers and duelists who were honorable and hard-working, but none of them were like Yugi. Was it because Yugi had beaten him? Maybe, but he wasn't ashamed of his loss to Yugi. And he himself had said that there was no difference in their abilities. But Yugi had come out on top in every duel that they had and probably always would as long as he had the three god cards.

But he _still _wanted to keep fighting him. To keep dueling him. To be rivals with him for the rest of his life. It had been several weeks since they had seen each other, as he had been in America working on the Kaiba Land project. And he wanted to see him again. And after school was over for Yugi, Seto Kaiba decided that that was what he was going to do that night.

0oo0

"Now to check that last problem to see if I got it right…Aaaand…done! Yes!" Yugi closed his notebook and packed up his pencil case, placing both of things and his textbook into his backpack.

"Are you all done studying?" his Other Self asked, appearing next to him in his ghostly form.

Yugi nodded happily and got up from his desk. "Yep! I feel awesome! I think I'm definitely gonna pass that math test tomorrow. I just have to stay focused, remember everything I've learned, and be confident."

Yami Yugi grinned. "That's the spirit, Partner! I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thanks, Other Me." Yugi stretched and let out a big yawn. "Okay, now I'd better get some sleep. I promised Jounouchi and Honda I'd be at school early so that we could cram a little before the test and compare our notes."

"All right. I won't disturb you, then. Good night."

"Good ni-Oh shoot!"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Yugi slapped his forehead. "I promised Grandpa I'd go to the hardware store today and pick up some replacement lightbulbs for the shop, but I've been thinking so much about this huge test that I forgot!"

"Why don't you just go tomorrow, then? He'll understand that you were focusing on that, won't he?"

Yugi looked down at his shoes. "Maybe, but I haven't given him any help in a long time since we were so busy preparing for the Battle City and all that stuff before and around it. I feel bad about leaving him to do all my chores himself. And I _promised _him I'd run that errand today. But it's getting late, and if I don't go to bed now, I might not wake up in time to get breakfast and meet up with Honda and Jounouchi…"

"Then let me do it for you."

"Huh?"

"You get some rest, and I'll go and get those lightbulbs. It's no trouble for me and you'll get to sleep while keeping your promise to Grandpa."

"Are you sure? Do you even know where the hardware store is?"

"Yes, I do. It's just four blocks away, right? If I leave now, I can get there before it closes. So let's switch."

"Well…okay. But don't hesitate to wake me up if you get lost."

Yami frowned and crossed his arms. "I won't get lost!"

"I know, but just in case…"

"All right. Now get some rest, partner. I'll make this as quick as I can."

"Okay. See you in the morning."

The high school student and the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle switched places and Yami pulled on Yugi's backpack, which contained his wallet, and set out for his destination. Thankfully, he didn't run into Sugoroku on the way out, so he didn't have to risk making him wonder if there was anything going on. It was the early evening and the air outside was crisp, clear, and cool. Yami walked past the park on his way to the hardware store, and he caught sight of many pedestrians who were enjoying the pleasant weather and quiet atmosphere that came with the sunset and dusk. Among the pedestrians were more than a few families and couples sharing quality time together. Looking so happy.

"Did I ever have a lover when I was Pharaoh?" Yami wondered. He sighed at the familiar, yet uncomfortable feeling of not being able to remember one single thing about who he was and what kind of life he had led. He was extremely grateful for his friends, but as wonderful as they were and as much as he cared for them, deep down, Yami knew that they just weren't enough to fill the hole inside of him. At first it didn't matter if he never got his memories back or learned anything about who he was. He had his friends. He had a place that accepted and welcomed and liked him. If he really wanted romantic love, there was Anzu, one of his dearest friends. But even if he did return Anzu's feelings for him, he could never act on them. He would only end up hurting her when they would have to part and there was no future with him. And Anzu knew that as well. And he knew that Yugi had been harboring a crush on the beautiful, compassionate, tenacious girl for such a long time.

"If I were to disregard those feelings for my own sake, what kind of person would I be?" he thought. It was completely out of the question, no matter how he felt about her (not to mention the fact that she and Yugi would be a great match for each other…).

Furthermore, this place just wasn't where he _belonged_. He knew that. And he couldn't stay with them there forever. As close as they all were, the fact remained that his soul had a place that it needed to return to. He was dead, and they were alive. And even though they called him Yugi, or the Other Yugi, he wasn't Yugi. He was the soul of a pharaoh and he believed what he had told Kaiba during their last duel: "people's pasts make them who they are." Yugi had offered to give him all of his memories and share his past with him, but he needed his own, and Yugi needed to keep those memories for himself and the pharaoh's soul needed to know who he was. What kind of person had he been? Had he been a good, dutiful king or a bad, cruel king? Did he have any friends? What was his family like? Who were his servants and allies? What happened to them? Why and how did he end up the way he was? What kinds of battles did he fight? Against who and alongside who?

Kaiba…

Oddly enough, one thing that he did know was that he had fought both against and alongside Kaiba.

Out of all of the relationships that he had formed during his time here, the strangest one was with Seto Kaiba. They were rivals and enemies during duels, but they had also been allies. And apparently, that was also the way they were in their past lives as well. Rivals who had fought against each other, but also…friends. How could that be? What happened? And why? How were things between them just before he died?

His train of thought would have continued had it not been for the fact that he nearly walked straight into traffic as he realized that he had been so preoccupied with thinking that he hadn't been looking where he was going and had walked past the hardware store by more than a few yards.

"Thank goodness my Partner didn't see this…" he thought, feeling embarrassed.

Yami turned on his heel and walked so quickly he was nearly jogging towards the store. He got inside the door and located the shelves where lights were stocked. Once he had found the florescent lights that matched the ones that he knew were used to light the overhead of the game shop, he picked up several of them and hurried to the cash register to complete his purchase and start hurrying back to Yugi's house. It wasn't until he was halfway there that he realized someone was following him on the street that had turned dark in the absence of the sun and the presence of a new moon.

The spirit ground his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to deal with this right now. But this person, whoever he was, kept trailing behind him despite his attempts to use a different route home in an effort to shake him. So he stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Hey!" he snapped. "I'm on to you! Go away!"

His eyes widened at the realization as to who it was.

"Kaiba?!"

Kaiba just stared, saying nothing.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping to find you."

"Me? But why…oh, you want to challenge me again? I can't duel you right now. I have to go home."

"That's not what I was after," Kaiba thought. But he couldn't tell Yugi that. "Some other time, then."

"Fine. Until later, Kaiba, I really need to get back to the house."

"Very well."

To the pharaoh's confusion, his rival started walking alongside him.

"We're both headed in the same direction," the businessman told him as he saw the king of games giving him a perplexed look.

"Oh. Fine."

They walked several yards side by side in silence until Yami spoke up again. He was grateful for this chance encounter. He didn't think that he would get to see Kaiba again after the Battle City tournament had ended and before the next school vacation, when Yugi, Anzu, Honda, and Jonouchi had all agreed they would travel to Egypt to find his memories at last, and he was glad that he would get to see his rival at least one more time and spend some time with him.

"So you're back from America?"

"Yes. I've secured a deal for the raw materials that we'll need and with a top engineering company who will assist Kaiba corp on building Kaiba Land here and in America."

Yami looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "I'm glad that things are going well for you."

Kaiba seemed blindsided by it and blinked. "Of course they are." His eyes narrowed. "Did you think that they wouldn't?"

"No."

"…"

"I know that you and Mokuba will achieve your dream. Nothing can stop the two of you from doing it."

"Hmph. Of course not."

They now found themselves almost at the Kame Game store and Yami decided to ask Kaiba one last question.

"Are you still dueling?"

"No. I don't know when and if I'll hold anymore tournaments. And I have no plans to enter any. If someone challenges me, I'll accept it, but the only person I'd ever want to challenge is you, Yugi. You may have beaten me in our last duel, but I have no intention of allowing **our **fight to end."

"You may not have a choice in the matter, Kaiba," Yami thought sadly. He unknowingly allowed some of his melancholy to show on his face, and it did not go unnoticed.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just…" Would they always have to be that way? Always just fighting and dueling? Would that be how they had to say goodbye? How they would spend their last moments together?

"Do you not want to duel me again?"

"No, I do, but…" This was going to be his only chance to say it, so he did. "Is that all you would ever want to do with me?"

"What are you saying?"

"I just want to…spend time with you."

"Why? You know I'm busy and that I don't have time for friends."

"But I thought you said we weren't friends, Kaiba," Yami said with a smirk.

Kaiba smirked back. Now he was starting to sound like his rival again. Spending time with him didn't sound so bad. Maybe that would help him find the answers he was looking for.

"All right. Come to my house tomorrow evening. Just you. No one else. I'll show you my private plans for Kaiba Land."

Yami nodded. "Right. I'll see you then."

"Don't be late."

The rivals said nothing more and parted ways. Yami walked inside the house and crept upstairs after leaving the lightbulbs where Sugoroku would find them tomorrow morning. He brushed his teeth, put on Yugi's pajamas, turned off the light, and climbed into bed, retreating into the puzzle so that Yugi would be the one to wake up there when daylight came.

"I just hope my partner will be okay with this…" Yami mused. "What am I getting myself into?"

Back at his home, Seto Kaiba was wondering the same thing. But both of them also knew that, for once, there was nothing to lose.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey folks! To that one guest reviewer and my two followers of this story, thank you very much and I hope I won't disappoint you or anyone else who reads this.

Once again, I hope you enjoy and please leave me any feedback you may have. Positive or negative, I'd love to hear it. As always, have a good day and I hope you enjoy.

Shadow

(Edit/Note: If you're looking for the new content, please go back to chapter two. All has been explained there.

I'm sorry for the trouble and to be so confusing.)

* * *

"Huh? Kaiba invited you over to his house?!"

Yugi was waiting by the lockers alone for his friends. Otogi and Ryou had cleaning duty in the classroom and Honda and Jounouchi were helping Anzu with a favor that she was doing for the school librarian. They had opted to celebrate the fact that the test was over with some gaming time at the arcade that afternoon.

"Yes, I know it's strange, but he did."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, partner. I should have asked if it was okay with you, first."

"No, it's fine. I was asleep…Besides, we didn't make any plans for this evening, so it's not going to get in the way of anything. Just make sure you're home by curfew."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Curfew?"

"Uh, 11:45. Pm. Otherwise Grandpa will get worried and Mom will get mad."

"Oh, I see."

"Hey, Yugi!" Otogi called as he arrived with the rest of the gang.

"It's party time! Ready to go?" said Anzu, beaming at him.

"Why haven't you put your shoes on yet?" Honda asked.

"Ah, whoops!" Yugi replied, crouching to the floor and scrambling to yank his indoor shoes off and pull on his other ones.

"Come on, hurry up! That Skullgirls game was just installed and there's gonna be a huge line to play it if we don't get there first!" Jounouchi cried.

"No way! Skullgirls? Really?" Yugi replied excitedly, stars in his eyes.

"Yeah! What are we waiting for?"

"Nothing!"

"Awright! Then let's blow this popsicle stand!"

Before anyone could stop him, Jounouchi grabbed Yugi and took off, dashing into town with the speed of a freight train going downhill a mountain without any brakes.

"Ugh, Skullgirls? That fighting game with all the fanservice?" Anzu groaned.

"Uhhh-huh," said Honda and Otogi, wide grins on their faces.

"I felt that way about it too, when I saw the commercials for it," said Ryou. "But it's actually pretty fun and cool. I bet you'd like it, Anzu."

"Really, Bakura? Okay, I'll give it a try then."

By the time the rest of them had gotten there, Yugi and Jounouchi had parked themselves in front of the newly installed game, mashing buttons and twisting joysticks.

"Haha! Taste my divine fury, Yugi!"

"Not so fast, Jounouchi, try this on for size!"

"Ack! No! No no no no! I will not be defeated!"

"Whoa, Jounouchi, don't slam the buttons so hard! You're gonna break it!" Anzu warned.

"Can Anzu and I have next round?" Ryou asked.

"Hey, Otogi, I'll play you in Gunslinger Stratos," Honda challenged, gesturing to the older game on the other side of the room.

"You're on!" the black-haired boy accepted with a nod as the two of them strode off to battle.

The six friends spent the rest of the afternoon in their raucous gaming reverie. When it came for them all to head home, Yugi hopped on a different bus from the one that his friends had gotten on, one that would take him within walking distance of Kaiba's house. After a somewhat lengthy ride,Yugi allowed the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle to take control and left him to his own devices, making him promise again to be back in time for curfew. When Yami was let inside Kaiba's stately mansion by his squat, stocky, butler, who announced his presence once they were standing in the main lobby.

"Your guest, Yugi Mutou has arrived, Master Kaiba," he declared in a grandiose voice.

The owner of the property appeared from a room upstairs. "Yugi. Welcome. Come up here."

Yami ascended the large, perfectly polished staircase and joined Kaiba in his office. Nothing about the surroundings surprised him. It was neither sparsely nor densely furnished. The walls were painted apple green, and the carpet was plum colored. A wide flat screen television hung on one of the walls, and a sofa, a coffee table and a desk were placed perpendicular to it about two yards away. Behind the sofa were three colossal bookcases, each fully stocked with books on many different subjects. Behind the desk were three wall windows and on the broad,wooden desk there was nothing but a laptop and a telephone. The tall, leafy plant that had been placed in one corner in front of the left wall window completed the office. Every single thing in the room was clean, neat, and straight and no object clashed with another. Kaiba sat down on the black, high-backed office chair and opened up the laptop. He pulled over a smaller, stationary chair next to him.

"Have a seat."

Yami accepted Kaiba's offer as he typed in the password, which gave him access to his private files. Up came a drawn 3D model of the future Kaiba Land.

"This is the latest model," he told him.

Yami leaned in for a closer look. There were rides, attractions, dining, snacks, games, special tours, transportation, and stores. Even though he didn't have much frame of reference, as he himself had never been to an amusement park, it all looked very impressive and he could tell that it was state-of-the-art.

"How much are you going to charge for admission?" asked the spirit.

"We haven't quite worked that out yet," Seto replied. "However, all orphaned and/or less fortunate children are admitted for free and won't have to pay for anything inside the park."

"That's very kind of you."

Kaiba paused and swiveled his chair to the side a bit. "You don't sound surprised," he remarked.

"That's because I'm not."

"…"

"I've never thought of you as a bad person, Kaiba. You may not always speak or act kindly, but I've never really doubted that you have a very strong sense of duty and honor and that your true intentions aren't bad."

Kaiba's expression was unreadable. "You're the first person who's ever said anything like that to me."

And he wasn't lying. Even Mokuba had doubted that for a short time, thanks to Noah's cruel manipulation of him. But Yugi had always believed that there was good in him, even after what he had done to his grandfather. Kaiba had never cared too much about what others thought of him (except for Mokuba), but...it wasn't bad to have someone around him who believed in him that much. But he didn't need it! He didn't!

Not wanting the awkward conversation to continue, Kaiba tapped several keys. "I'll show you the Duel Monsters building."

Said building was a gleaming white circular dome, with a platinum statue of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon in front of it and the doors guarded by two granite statues: the Kaiser Seahorse on one side and the Lord of Dragons on another. The bottom floor of the building included a store that sold cards, card cases, and duel disks and other duelists' gear. The store also featured a comprehensive database on every card that had ever been created: including how strong, rare, old and valuable it was, what cards it was smart to pair with in a deck, what its weaknesses were, and what cards it could effectively be played against during a duel. There was also a trading area where duelists could meet together and trade their cards.

"This looks incredible," Yami said in awe.

Seto smiled smugly. "It does, doesn't it? The next two floors have arenas for players with duel disks and for players without them. There's also a four-way arena similar to the one in Alcatraz, but it's not the exact same model."

After they had seen all of that, Kaiba showed him the top floor.

"This is a hall of fame. But our name for it is 'The Ring of Glory.'"

It was a hall, but instead of being straight, it was a circle that went all the way around the top of the building. It was dedicated to the greatest duelists in the world and the most amazing battles that they had fought.

Yami recognized another statue of the grim Dark Necrofear, carved from a block of black obsidian. She stood beside a framed photograph of her mysterious master, Ryou Bakura. Beneath that photograph was a data sheet on him: which told visitors how old he was, where he lived, and what his notable achievements, cards, and strategies were. In another part of the hall, a marble statue of the graceful Harpy Lady and her sisters had been set up near a photograph and a data sheet of the steel-willed Mai Kujaku. To his great displeasure, Yami noticed that Jounouchi was nowhere to be found in the Ring of Glory. Rishid, Isis, Malik, Haga, Ryuzaki, Espa Roba, and Kaijiki also had been given mention, though only the first three had true places of honor and statues of their monsters and/or their famous spell or trap cards like Bakura's and Mai's. Photographs, and playable video clips of the duelists in the Ring of Glory's most famous duels, moments, and victories along with paintings that their duels and monsters also adorned the walls.

"Kaiba, Jounouchi should have a place here," Yami stated.

"Oh, yes, him. Well, if you insist. I suppose he can have honorable mention. His performance against Malik in the semi-finals was commendable."

"He deserves more than that!"

Kaiba glared at him. "Yugi, when you build an amusement park of your own, you can commission an entire palace in his honor if you like. But this is mine. And I am free to do with it as I see fit."

Finally, they came to one part of a wall that showed Seto Kaiba with a full-sized photograph of himself and a porcelain statue of the Blue Eyes White Dragon with sapphire eyes. Blue Eyes White Dragon statue and the Black Magician statue were facing each other, signifying their neverending battle. The sight of his place in the Ring of Glory made the spirit's breath hitch in his throat. The tall, elegant statue of the Black Magician beside him was stunningly beautiful. His armor was made of smooth dark amethyst, his flesh of painted limestone, and his staff of green rock crystal. The photograph of himself was full sized and the words: "THE KING OF GAMES"were emblazoned in a large golden plaque above his data sheet.

"Impressed?" Kaiba asked.

"Er…yes…"

"I've given this all in your honor because you're worthy of it."

"…Th…Thank you, Kaiba."

Kaiba smirked at his dumbfounded expression, but then the spirit regained his composure.

"When will this place be open?"

"In two years. Everyone around me has been saying it can't be done, but I've never let other people decide and tell me what I'm capable of. Mark my words, Yugi, it will be done in under three years."

"Yes."

"I knew you had sense, Yugi," Kaiba thought, smiling to himself. "You know

what I'm truly capable of."

"I trust you won't reveal any of this to your friends."

"No, Kaiba, I won't. I promise."

"Good. And I intend to keep my word as well. I will invite you all to Kaiba Land the moment it opens."

"I'll be…looking forward to it."

"Before I show you the rest, there's one more thing I'm going to say, Yugi."

"I'm listening."

They were interrupted by a knock on the office door.

"Come in," Kaiba called.

It was the butler. "Sir, I'm afraid I must regret to inform you that the chef has gone home early this evening due to sickness."

"What?"

"Oh, yes, he's got a dreadful cold."

"Hmph. All right, then I'm going out to dinner. Do you want to come with me, Yugi?"

"Yes, I do." He still wanted to spend time with Kaiba, and he needed to ensure that he wasn't letting Yugi go hungry.

"But, if I may say so sir, he's not properly dressed," the butler interjected.

"No, but that can easily fixed," Seto replied.

"Some of my old clothes should fit you," he told his guest. "Follow me."

Kaiba led Yami Yugi into his bedroom and over to his walk-in closet. He made his way to the back of it and pulled out several black tuxedo held the first one up to Yami, measuring it against him. "No," He tried another. "Too big. Too small. Too long. …All right. This will probably work. Here." He passed the jacket to the pharaoh and then went into the back of the closet again to retrieve the black shoes, pants, socks, bowtie, cummerbund and white dress shirt that went with it. "Put these on. And be quick."

Yami took a seat on one of the wooden chests inside of the closet and started to change his clothes. After he had taken off his shirt, he looked up and saw Kaiba staring over his shoulder at him while he was getting ready on his own.

"What?" he asked.

Kaiba said nothing and looked away.

"How does this go on?" Yami muttered under his breath, standing up to tie his cummerbund.

Kaiba let out an exasperated sigh. "Give it to me. I'll do it."

"Ah-wait, you don't need to-" The Other Yugi was cut off by Kaiba's rapid work of pulling himself to him, wrapping the expensive garment around his waist and buckling it so that it rested exactly where it was supposed to.

"There. Now turn around." Kaiba then picked up the bowtie and tied it around his rival's neck. After that, he walked briskly out of the room. "Finish up and get your coat on. I'm going to call my chauffer to meet us at the front door. We have to leave very soon if we want to avoid the crowds. Don't dawdle."

Yami put on the last piece of his tuxedo and went over to the bathroom that he had seen next to the closet in Kaiba's bedroom to check his reflection in the mirror. He ran a comb through his hair a few times and caught sight of a full bottle of cologne. He sprayed a touch of it into the air to find out what it smelled like. It was a strong, yet not overbearing scent with notes of jasmine, sandalwood, cedar leaf, amber, mandarin, and basil along with some other spices and woods that he couldn't place. Thinking that it smelled nice, he sprayed some more of onto his hands and rubbed it into his wrists, neck, and the areas behind his ears. The pharaoh's ghost then hurried down the steps to join Kaiba in the lobby.

"How do I look? Nice?" he inquired, straightening out his jacket.

"You honestly think I care, Yugi?"

Yami frowned. "You're just as pleasant and polite as ever."

Kaiba smirked and opened the door to get to where his Porsche was parked.

"Also, if you really didn't care you wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to get a suit that fits me so well," Yami thought amusedly before he joined Kaiba in the vehicle.

"Take us to Korigawa," Kaiba ordered. "That's where we're eating, by the way."

The rivals arrived at the restaurant after a ride to the western part of the upscale section of Domino City in complete silence.

"Welcome, Mr. Kaiba! What a pleasant surprise!" greeted the hostess. "And I see you've brought a guest with you. Shall I-"

"Yes, get my usual private room ready."

"Of course, sir. Just one moment," the middle-aged woman at the front of the house hurried off to give the wait staff their new job to do.

"Private room?" Yami asked.

"Whenever I go out to eat, I only go to places that have private dining rooms. I don't like extra attention from people unless I want it."

"I see," Yami said with a nod.

A minute or two later, the hostess returned and showed them to a private dining room with a table that had been set for two. It was small, but the interior design was very chic and modern, with a black and white color scheme and elegant furniture. White orchids blossomed in black vases in two of the corners, a beautiful monochrome ink painting of mountains and trees from the Muromachi period hung on one of the walls, and a wall window gave them a panoramic view of Domino City, all lit up. After they had sat down, a waiter approached Kaiba.

"Shall I place your usual order, sir?" he asked.

"Yes," said Kaiba, handing the waiter his menu back without even opening it.

"Very good. And for you, sir?"

"Uh-I-I'll just…have whatever he's having…thank you…"

"Of course, it will be ready shortly."

As that waiter exited the door with their order, another came in, carrying a newspaper, which he presented to Kaiba before he left him and his guest to themselves. The brown-haired businessman unfolded it, crossed his legs and started to read.

Yami put his right elbow on the table, rested his chin in his hand and breathed out. He drummed his fingers on the wood. Kaiba's unabashed rudeness was now really starting to test his patience. He hoped that he hadn't come this way to Anzu whenever he had gotten tongue-tied during their outings.

"**Riveting** conversation," Yami remarked bitterly after about five minutes of quiet.

"Hm?" Kaiba asked, looking at him from over his newspaper. "Did you say something?"

"Isn't there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No."

Yami took a short, frustrated breath through his nose, sat up straight, and cleared his throat. "Well, there are things I'd like to talk about."

"Such as?"

"Er…how's Mokuba doing? Where is he, by the way?"

"Fine. He's away on a school trip for the weekend. They're going hiking in the mountains or something like that."

"What grade is he in?"

"Fifth. And he's now at the top of his class."

"That's excellent. Give him my congratulations when he comes back."

"I tell him that he doesn't need to study so hard if he doesn't want to, but he does it anyway so that 'he'll honor our family name.'" Kaiba gave a prideful smile. "I'm very proud."

"You should be. He's a great kid. I'd be proud of him, too if he was my brother. Does he like this restaurant as well?"

"Oh, yes. He orders their chocolate parfait every time we come here. That's Mokuba's favorite food."

"Ah. And what's your favorite food?"

"Beef. That's why we're here. Korigawa serves the best in the country-no, the entire world. I hired one of the chefs who was trained here to come and work as our personal chef."

"Mm."

"Now will you let me get back to my reading?"

"Kaiba, if you didn't want to talk, why did you invite me here?!"

"We had a conversation just now, didn't we?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Then what are you complaining about?" Kaiba said as he disappeared back behind his newspaper.

Yami Yugi placed both of his elbows back on the table and put his head in his hands with a quiet groan. But at this point the pharaoh was sure that he would have an easier time pulling teeth from an angry shark that was trying to eat him than sustain a conversation with Seto Kaiba. And he didn't want things to be this way. Kaiba was his friend. Or, he wanted Kaiba to be his friend. They had a bond. A bond as they weren't just opponents. They had helped each other. Helped each othergrow stronger, brought out each other's strength. Neither of them would be who they were without the other. They were fierce rivals, but during his duel with Malik, he had shown Kaiba a miracle. A miracle that had been brought about by their bond and nothing had been one of the keys to his victory that time, and during his duel with Noah, he felt Kaiba fighting with him, and had used their bond to achieve victory that time and save them all.

He didn't want them to be just rivals. He knew that they were more than that, and that they could be more than that, but how could he make Kaiba share this feeling?

" 'Make' him?" Yami asked himself. "Maybe…that's the problem. I'm always so forceful. That's one of the many traits we share: we go after what we want and fight whatever's in our way to achieve our goals. We're both so stubborn and proud. If Kaiba sees me trying to force him to be his friend and see things like I do, he'll just push back against me."

He remembered his partner's strength: the unbeatable strength of kindness. Thanks to his partner, he had gained some of that strength as well, and maybe that was the answer. Or at least part of the answer. A more gentle approach was worth at least a try, he decided.

By the time he had finished these thoughts, their food had arrived. Wisps of steam rose up from the plates of impeccably cooked prime cut filet mignon, potato confit, steamed haricots verts, and rich demi-glace sauce.

"Thank you," said Kaiba. Yami followed suit.

Kaiba began to eat. He ate as if he were dining with the emperor, and slowly savored each bite.

"It's interesting to see him enjoy something other than games," Yami thought.

"Aren't you going to eat that?"

"Wha-oh. Oh, yes."

Yami clumsily took his knife and fork into his hands, cut into his steak, and took up a forkful of the tender, juicy, well-seasoned meat. It melted in his mouth the moment he began to chew, and the complex, rich flavor was unlike anything he could have anticipated. The vegetables' texture was just right: neither too soft nor too crispy, and the sauce tied all components of the dish together like a perfect knot.

"I bet my partner and the others would like this," he thought.

Kaiba paused for a moment. "Does the food suit you?" he inquired.

"Yes, it's delicious," Yami responded after cleaning up his face, and smiled. "You have excellent taste."

Kaiba was unsure how to respond, so he just made a "hmph" sound.

The rivals ate the rest of their dinner in silence and Kaiba sent a text message to his chauffeur, informing him that they were ready to be picked up.

The rivals went downstairs after the businessman had paid their bill and stood side by side in the lobby.

"Kaiba,"

"Hm?"

"Back there, you said you had something more that you wanted to say to me. What was it?"

"Oh, that. I wanted to tell you that...I owe you."

Yami turned towards him. "For what?"

Kaiba did the same. "I know that if I hadn't been able to rid myself of my hatred, I might not be as close to achieving my brother's and my dream as I am now. And you helped destroy that hatred, Yugi. I'm...indebted to you."

"I'm indebted to you as well, Kaiba."

Kaiba's brow furrowed.

"I wouldn't be the duelist I am today without you. You pushed me harder than anyone else and caused me to unlock my full potential and skill as a duelist. And I wouldn't have been able to rescue my friends and get the god cards."

Yami held out his hand. "Thank you."

Kaiba clasped his rival's hand with his own after a brief hesitation. "Y...yes. Same to you."

Kaiba and Yami turned back to their original positions.

"And I wouldn't be the duelist that I am without you, Yugi," Kaiba thought. "You, too, have pushed me harder than anyone else and gotten me to bring out all of my true potential."

And he couldn't imagine anyone else who could do something like that. Also, even if someone like Malik had managed to defeat Yugi, he wouldn't want to keep fighting them for the rest of his life, like Yugi. Maybe he didn't need Yugi, but...he wanted him as an opponent who could keep amazing him and surprising him and challenging him and teaching him. But he also wanted him...by his side. To keep pushing him to work harder and to never lose confidence in his abilities. And he wanted him there, in both places, for the rest of his life.

"Is this love, Mokuba?" he asked himself, closing his eyes. "Is it?"


End file.
